Green Day, Coldplay triumph at MTV awards

Punk trio Green Day and British rockers Coldplay were the big winners at the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) in Lisbon, Portugal last night, taking home two gongs each.

Meanwhile, Live 8 organiser Bob Geldof's tireless campaigning against poverty in Africa was recognised with the Free Your Mind award.

Green Day were the first winners of the night, taking Best Album for American Idiot and Best Rock, while Chris Martin's band picked up Best Song for Speed Of Sound and Best UK & Ireland act.

Green Day and Coldplay were among the many acts who performed at Lisbon's Pavilhao Atlantico, including Pussycat Dolls, Akon, Robbie Williams, The Black-Eyed Peas, Foo Fighters, Shakira, Gorillaz and System Of A Down.

The show - hosted by Ali G comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakhstani alter-ego Borat Sagdiyev - was opened by Madonna emerging from a giant disco ball to sing her forthcoming single Hung Up.

Despite the predominance of US and UK acts at the annual ceremony, Colombian beauty Shakira beat Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Misst Elliott and Mariah Carey to Best Female.

Gorillaz provided the big shock of the night by triumphing over U2, Coldplay, Green Day and The Black Eyed Peas to garner Best Group, while Stefani went home empty-handed, despite lead the nominations in four categories.